While I roast a turkey every Thanksgiving, and include a thin slice or two on my plate the night of, I'm really looking forward to the turkey sandwiches to come the following week. For the feast, I give side dishes most of my appetite, as my family is not above having two types of stuffing (my mother's potato one and my bread version), bourbon cider gravy, another potato dish, roasted squash of some sort, plus root vegetables, and something green.
The list goes on, and can vary, like the year my grandmother requested Ina Garten's creamed spinach gratin. But, besides the two stuffings, the other constant is a generous salad. Against all the long-cooked, caramelized, creamy dishes, I look for a fresh counterpoint. Here, it's warm beets nudged up beside a decisively vinegared tangle of brassicas and chard. Twangy and sharp, the greens have gratifying chew, especially when topped with fried shallots like a green bean casserole.
This salad is enjoyable throughout the autumn, not only on Thanksgiving. It can be bulked up with crumbled feta or shaved Pecorino, or the shallots replaced (or combined with) toasted hazelnuts. For the beets, I lean towards ones about the size of a pool ball. The Brussels sprouts can be shredded with the slicing blade of a food processor or by hand.